SUMMARY
  • Nicholas Hoult admired Hugh Jackman during 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' as he grew up watching him as Wolverine.
  • 'Days of Future Past' is Hoult's favorite 'X-Men' movie, primarily due to its cast.
  • Hoult will soon play Lex Luthor in James Gunn's upcoming 'Superman'.

Marvel has been adapting its comic book universe on the big screen since the late 90s. Starting with Blade, it brought in the X-Men franchise and ultimately began the MCU with Iron Man in 2008. Many actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Hugh Jackman have become synonymous with their roles in the meantime.

Hugh Jackman in X-Men
Hugh Jackman in X-Men | Credit: 20th Century Studios/Marvel

It won’t be wrong to say an entire generation has grown up watching Marvel movies, and very few of them were fortunate enough to work in those movies. Nicholas Hoult is one such example, and the actor’s experience truly shows the impact of Marvel movies on their fans’ lives.

Nicholas Hoult Shares His Experience With Hugh Jackman on X-Men Set

Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Jackman, and James McAvoy in X-Men: Days of Future Past
Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Jackman, and James McAvoy in X-Men: Days of Future Past | Credit: 20th Century Studios/Marvel

The X-Men franchise began in 2000 when the beloved mutants were introduced on the big screen for the first time. Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen featured as the Wolverine, Professor X, and Magneto, among other mutant superheroes.

However, it is Jackman who has managed to play his role for over 24 years. Playing a character for so long results in the actor often getting recognized for the particular role. Moreover, it also shows how the actor has maintained his impact for over two decades without letting the audience feel bored with him.

Nicholas Hoult is one of those many fans who grew up watching Jackman as Wolverine, and his experience with him on the set of X-Men: Days of Future Past shows his admiration for Jackman.

In his recent appearance on Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hoult was asked about his favorite X-Men film. Although X-Men: First Class was his introduction as Beast to Marvel fans, he chose Days of Future Past, especially because of its cast, particularly Hugh Jackman. Hoult said,

I remember reading the script and being like wo..I mean partly on a level of like, joining both casts together meant that there were scenes where I’d be walking down the corridor of Cerebro and I’d look over and Hugh Jackman would be there playing Wolverine. And I watched him play Wolverine when I was 10 or 11 watching the original X-Men movie. So I was like this is crazy.

Apart from cast members being the primary reason for his likeness, Hoult also mentioned that the film’s story was “really strong and emotional” and that he got “slightly better character stuff in Days of Future Past.”

Days of Future Past is also considered the most successful X-Men movie with the younger versions of mutants. The movie has grossed over $746 million worldwide (as per Box Office Mojo). Hoult later starred in two more X-Men films- Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. 

Nicholas Hoult Looks for a Big Impact in DC

Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult | via Nicholas Hoult’s Instagram

After portraying a genius-level intellect mutant, Nicholas Hoult is going to portray another genius character of DC. The actor will be seen as Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman movie by James Gunn. In an interview with Deadline, Hoult said,

I’m a fan of Superman and Lex Luthor as a character, so hopefully we’ve done something special with it that people enjoy.

Superman will mark the beginning of the new DCU. However, Hoult has been eyeing his debut in DC with The Batman. In his conversation on Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hoult talked about the moment Robert Pattinson got the role of Batman.

I remember a week before we did the Batman test, I was driving in my car and I had the radio on and they were talking on the radio about how Rob was going to be the new Batman. And I was like, ‘It’s not confirmed yet! I’m auditioning next weekend. I was like, give me a chance.’

Although he didn’t get his first wish, Hoult mentioned that Gunn knew his struggle behind that role and asked him to be a part of his new DCU and didn’t let him go through the process again. Lex is a major character who holds the possibility of a long run in movies. It won’t be surprising if Hoult is seen appearing as Luthor for years, much like Jackman.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is available to stream on Disney+.

Superman will be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.

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